The Dreaded 'Fresher Squeak
by Kaelir of Lorien
Summary: Anakin accidentally pinches an extremely sensitive nerve that causes Obi-Wan to fly into an utterly ridiculous rage. Nonslash. Please Review!


This idea came from an experience I had in real life, when I was basically doing the same thing as Anakin and got a similar reaction from "Obi-Wan". I thought the whole thing was hilarious so I turned it into a short story here.

Even if it is a bit idiotic, tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of that...

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Two Jedi Knights stumbled, ragged and exhausted, into an upper apartment of the Jedi Temple on the Republic capital, Coruscant. Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared the less careworn of the pair; he, a least, was able to stand upright. Upon entering the room, he immediately began composing a quick message to the Jedi High Council informing the Masters of their return. His seventeen year-old apprentice, however, merely dragged himself into his room and flopped onto the sleep couch.

Anakin Skywalker lay there quietly, his eyes closed, the only sound being that of his own heavy breathing as he savored being back on a soft surface. He was determined not to get up again for several months — a few years if he could manage it. That last assignment had been one of the most trying of his Jedi career, and he seriously doubted if he would ever recover fully.

"Master," he croaked half-heartedly in the direction of the common room, "wake me up in a couple days so I can eat something."

There was a rustle of movement in the other room, then Obi-Wan appeared in the doorway. He eyed Anakin with what seemed to be a mildly amused expression. "Absolutely pathetic, young Padawan," he remarked. "You look like you were just knocked flat."

"I was," Anakin groaned, raising his head slightly to look at his mentor. "By my own exhaustion."

"Isn't that just too bad? You're going to have to get up again."

"No… why?"

Obi-Wan had already turned to leave. "I'm going up to the Council for a few minutes. In the meantime, you go take a shower."

It took Anakin a few moments to register what Obi-Wan's voice was telling him. He let out an audible moan of protest. "Not now, Master. Tomorrow, maybe."

"Anakin." Obi-Wan's head appeared back near the doorway. "Get going. You _reek_."

Then he left.

Grumbling, Anakin let his head fall back on the pillow. The last thing he felt like doing was getting up, in any way, shape, or form. Every muscle in his body was aching, screaming in protest if he tried to move, tightening if he even raised an arm. He had acquired little to no sleep over the past week, and on top of that, he and Obi-Wan had been dashing around some stupid little world for days and nights on end, putting out political fires and trying to keep the peace between over ten idiotic factions. But the end of it, Anakin would have happily murdered the whole lot of them just to stop the noise.

But now, he was lying in his own bed, perfectly content and just about ready to sleep.

About ten minutes later, Obi-Wan returned. He was not pleased to find Anakin still on the bed and in exactly the same position. "Padawan," he said testily, "I told you to do something. I'm very tired and my patience is being worn extremely thin at the moment. Now _go_."

With a heavy sigh, Anakin forced himself to sit up. "All right, all right," he muttered in irritated submission. "I'm going." He dragged himself off the sleep couch, grabbed a fresh set of clothes, and tromped into the refresher.

After starting the water, he pulled his towel off the rack, which made a loud squeaking sound as the article came off. The stupid thing always did that. He stuck his hand back in the water, testing the temperature. It was still a bit on the cool side; he would give it another thirty seconds. He had just pulled off his outer tunic, tossing it carelessly on the floor, when he heard Obi-Wan yelling something out in the other room.

"What?" Anakin shouted back as Obi-Wan began pounding on the door.

There came a muffled, angry-sounding voice from the other side of the durasteel.

"I can't hear you!" Aggravated, Anakin moved until he was nose-to-nose with the door. "What are you saying?"

A stream of colorful language reached his ears. The next coherent thing that Obi-Wan said was, "Blast it, Anakin, I told you not to _do_ that!"

Anakin pulled back slightly, completely baffled. What was Obi-Wan talking about?

"What are you talking about?" he demanded over the wet spattering noise of the shower behind him. "What did I do?"

"You know perfectly well what!" Obi-Wan retorted loudly. "That sound!"

"What sound?"

"_That _sound!"

"_What_ sound?"

"I've told you this before!"

"Master, what the _Force_ are you yelling about?"

"That blasted squeaking sound, that's what!" Obi-Wan bellowed. Anakin noticed that his mentor seemed to be getting rather hoarse.

"What are you — oh, this?" Suddenly understanding, Anakin dragged another towel off the rack as a demonstration. The bar squeaked noisily and he was rewarded by an additional outburst from the other side of the closed door.

"Yes, that!" Obi-Wan sounded quite deranged. "It sets my teeth on edge!"

Anakin glared at the durasteel. "Well, I'm _sorry_."

"You'd better be! I _hate_ that noise —"

"Master, please," Anakin said, now trying to hold back a grin, "you're overreacting."

"_Overreacting_? Of course I'm overreacting — I can hear that all the way into my room!"

"All right, all right. I won't do it again."

He heard Obi-Wan stalk away, muttering, back into the common room. Shaking his head in disbelief, Anakin turned back to his shower. He supposed that even his master's patience had been sorely tried over the past week and this was just an outburst due to stress. He doubted whether Obi-Wan would have reacted as violently had they both been well-rested.

Twenty minutes and a warm shower later, Anakin emerged, dried himself, and pulled on his clothes. After gently wringing out he Padawan braid dangling behind his right ear, he slipped on his boots and retrieved the soiled clothes from the floor.

Then he picked up his towel and pulled it back over the rack.

The rack squeaked — loudly.

It took Anakin a second to comprehend what had just happened, then his eyes widened. "Oh, Force," he muttered despairingly.

From the direction of Obi-Wan's room came a strangled yell.

Anakin, who had been halfway out the door, shrank back into the 'fresher as the sound of pounding footsteps thundered across the room.


End file.
